Can you believe another club year has gone by? 2018 – 2019 is in the record book and a new year has already begun. This past year was one to remember. The big event was our year-long celebration of our 40th anniversary as a club. That milestone brought us a re-designed logo which lives on as a reminder that we are continuing to move forward as a club.
Speaking of moving, the past year included moving, for sure. Events beyond our control dictated that we move from our meeting location at The Oaks of Valencia to “who knew where” as the saga unfolded. We experienced what turned out to be an unaffordable one-month trial meeting at the Embassy Suites hotel where a nearly unanimous vote to move back to Vincenzo’s Pizza Newhall took place. So, move we did.
Moving additionally was a big topic in the club early in the club year with numerous couples relocating from our fine community and club eastward to Arizona for new experiences in a new location. I hope it wasn’t us who remain who caused the exodus, but rather their displeasure with daylight saving time and all of the clock changes involved. Besides those couples, we have recently been notified of other members relocating to other areas and interests as well.
The move of our now past members this past year has now evolved into more movement in the club. Not to Arizona, but from the membership waiting list to full club membership for Al and Jill Boley, Miron and Judy Kalebjian, Ray and Lorraine Kimple, Bob and Sharon Spierer, Peter and Carrie Di Orio, Jimmy and Robyn Webster, Steve and Terri Romine, Jimmy and Marsha Simpson and Virginia Gregory. Can you believe so many waiting for spots to open?
With all of that said, we remain solid as a club and are moving on track as we complete another great month. We enjoyed our outing to the Nethercutt Museum and the Bear Pit for BBQ. Our Taste of the Town took us to Saddle Ranch at the Valencia Mall for some good time together. Then, the highlight of the month was our third annual member appreciation picnic at Steckel Park in Santa Paula. Picnics are nice and picnics are fun, but they are even better when you get there in your Corvette and spend it with your Corvette friends. June was a good month and a fitting end to our 2018 – 2019 club year
.
I, along with your 2019 – 2020 board of directors are committed to keeping up the traditions of our great club and serving the membership to keep our focus on having fun together in our Corvettes. Please take time to show your support to our board members when you see them throughout the year. They are: Jim Webster (Vice President), Dan Clarkson (Secretary), Elke Couples (Treasurer), Judy Woodings (Membership), Donna Webster, Karen Jewett, and Don Ceo (Activities), Judy Turkheimer (Quartermaster), Steve Turkheimer (Communications) and Mark Ware (Webmaster).
Our membership is strong and we have plenty to look forward to in the new club year. Keep in tune by checking our website often and I will see you all at the July 4th Parade to get rolling into the new year!
So, April showers brought May flowers, but what about those May showers? More flowers I suppose, but the weather didn’t slow us down though. The Santa Clarita Valley Corvette Club keeps moving on. A little moisture is no problem and neither is relocating our meeting location. May found us ready to roll, returning to Vincenzo’s Pizza Newhall without skipping a beat. Our host Steve Katz made sure we felt welcome and had reserved Corvette parking laid out when we rolled into our May monthly meeting in near record numbers, with over 100 in attendance.
Our May schedule come off as planned despite the gloomy weather predicted in all of the weather reports. Taste of the Town at the Olive Garden was well attended, albeit few Corvettes were seen in the lot. Mothers’ Day came next with us all appreciating our moms for instilling in us the desire for the niceties in life which should include our nicely maintained Corvettes. Quite a reach I must admit, but I have to remember mom!
The rain continued right into our Weekday Get Away, to the back country of San Diego County with our run to Alpine and Julian. Postponing the event due to rain was an option that attendees voted down unanimously and the trip was on as scheduled. Attendees had a great time together with the extended run that took us out of our usual drive and eat mode. Sure, we had to drive and we had to eat, but road trips are more. They are an opportunity to spend extended time with one another and additionally an opportunity for members to help with the planning of activities along the way and even get outside their normal comfort zone found in day-trip runs. So, there was rain and cold but who cares. It was a great getaway and the Vettes are already cleaned up and ready for the next adventure.
June is upon us now. Personally, I prefer May, but we keep moving forward and I hope there will be a long June Gloom because summer heat cooks my brain with the top down. June will be a busy time for our club though. It is election time for your club leadership. The ballots are out and I hope you all submitted your votes to the Inspector of Elections to make your vote count. Four board members, Jeff Hernandez, Mark Ware, Deana Shaver and Anthony Bachmura are stepping down and new board assignments are pending. Additionally, if I should be re-elected for 2019-2020 club year, thanks for your confidence.
June also is the final month of the current club year and your club dues are now payable to continue your membership in this fine organization. In past years, we had a grace period that extended two months past the June 30th due date for your payment, but this past year the by-laws change decreased that period to one month. I urge all members wishing to continue membership to complete their new applications with all updated information and now, emergency contact information NLT June 30th so our Membership Chair can move forward with determining what vacancies exist for the coming membership year. Over a third of our membership took care of those details at the May meeting.
Looking forward, election results will be announced at the June meeting and our new board of directors will be ready to roll on July 1st. Our third annual club picnic is June 22nd and the July 4th Parade is on the horizon. We need all interested participants in those events to sign-up immediately for planning purposes.
So, June is here, and this old Northwest boy will have to put up with the sun through another summer and look forward to October, but all of you sun worshipers can join me in a period of dry roads and clean Corvettes! I am looking forward to a great June with you all.
The English proverb describing March coming “in like a lion and going out like a lamb” would better be used for April this year. A storm was brewing ever since February brought new terms for our meeting place to us. Your board checked the finite possibilities in our community for a suitable location to gather for our mandated monthly business meeting and made a decision “outside the box” to hold our April business meeting at the local Embassy Suites on a one-month trial basis. The location, which still allowed the continuation of the social aspects we have enjoyed with our business meetings in the past, was deemed unsatisfactory for the focus of our club and trial was terminated from further consideration.
We immediately moved to a state of déjà vu, that brisk, stunning sensation of having already lived a totally identical situation in past; the feeling that you’ve done this exact same thing once before. A vote was taken to again conduct monthly business meetings at Vincenzo’s Pizza Newhall, where we last met in December 2017. Owner Steve Katz expressed his pleasure that the club was returning and his willingness to take good care of our needs for meeting and enjoying a social time together each month at Vincenzo’s. He offered again to reserve Corvette parking each meeting day and many club members have stepped up to help make that happen. Quite a first week for April, indeed.
Activities in the welcome Spring weather proved well as the month progressed. You can read about the events we enjoyed in the following pages of the Gazette. I personally took part in the run to Buellton and the Mendenhall Museum, Taste of the Town at Lucille’s, our semi-annual BBQ hosted by our friends at Santa Paula Chevrolet and then ending the month at the KHTS radio sponsored Home and Garden Show at Central Park. Great outings, all, and I am looking forward to the events on the horizon our Activities committee has put together.
Our membership year as well as our board year for 2018/2019 is fast coming to a close. With the exodus of this past year’s board moving out of state en masse in mid-term, a scramble ensued to fill vacancies and keep our club on track as we entered our 41st year. With that, now is election time for a new board for 2019/2020. At our upcoming May business meeting, nominations will be taken from the membership. You as members are the club. Think about what position you want to fill in the coming year or who you would like to see on your board. May is when we will take nominations as well as conduct our annual election of officers in the manner prescribed in our by-laws. Be there, at Vincenzo’s, to check our new, old, digs.
So then, like I stated, this year added another month to “in like a lion, out like a lamb.” Whewwww! I’ll see you all in May.
Our day to day lives have both certainty and uncertainty that we deal with. Death and taxes
are often mentioned in the certainty column and along with that we in the SCVCC can add no
more meetings at the Oaks Grille. The matter of relocating was presented and discussed at
our March General Meeting and as we moved on from a great meeting place due to changes
in terms of use, we found ourselves in the uncertain column once again as we did with the
closing of Marie Callender’s a couple years ago. We found a happy home for our monthly
meetings at Vincenzo’s which offered both plus and minus aspects for a meeting place as
your board continued to search for a location that suited our needs. The Oaks seemed to be
that place but events once again necessitated a change.
Our search for a new meeting place has raised many questions and concerns in recent
weeks. The question we all have to address is what elements we want in a meeting place.
Our by-laws require us to have a monthly business meeting and state that the meeting must
have a 33% quorum of members. We can go back to our club’s beginnings and again meet in
a member’s garage and fulfill that requirement. Mine is available. I think however that we
have moved beyond the garage phase and can and should do better.
Do we want to just line up chairs and listen to board members present reports or is the social
aspect that we have enjoyed as part of our monthly meetings equally important? Are food
and beverage something that should be available or will an occasional tray of cookies be
enough? It is always stated that this is YOUR club and it should be that. Your board has
considered the locations available in our area and this month we are exploring a new venue,
the Embassy Suites Valencia. The location offers clean and comfortable surroundings where
we can both meet and enjoy the social aspects, but it does come at a cost which will require
us all to cover with a dues increase. This was presented both at our March meeting and in
follow-up communications and to date, I have received only two negative responses.
Will everyone be pleased with the decisions that have to be made about our move? That
remains to be seen. Let’s all get together on April 4th and give it a try. We are a great club
and I know we can do better than meeting in my garage, that is another certainty.
With that said, March was another great month of Corvette activities with Corvette people and
I am looking forward to April being even better.
And, by the way, our 2018 – 2019 membership year is fast coming to a close and now is the
time for you all to start thinking about our club elections. Who will you nominate and who will
serve in the coming year?
February, February, what’s up with February? It’s the shortest month of the year. The holidays are barely a month past and all is well on the horizon as we coast into the final half of our club year. The new Board is in place, with the exception of that pesky Newsletter position. Our Activities crew is busy at work cranking out another fun packed Three-Months-at-a-Glance and we are ready to roll for our February business meeting. Good so far, you and I both say, but onward.
We arrived at the Oaks Grille for what appeared to be another of our great evenings together, visiting with one another, eating together and getting down to business. But, maybe there was a full moon, or the stars weren’t aligned just right, I’m not exactly sure. The issue of start time for our meetings again arose from an apparently shallow grave and was the subject of much discussion and tabled for board consideration. The menu with not a lick of beef listed was another concern and many comments appeared in the suggestion box for consideration as well. Our attendance was down some too, but maybe that was due to excitement about the Oscars…who knows? The meeting ended and we went our separate ways, looking forward to our upcoming events.
Activity in the Driver’s Seat proved busier than normal in the coming days when the menu concerns were addressed with the Oaks Grille. Valid business concerns were voiced by our host location and action by your Board was initiated regarding the continued viability of the Oaks as a meeting location. The situation is still unresolved at this writing and your input at the March meeting is important in our discussion and decisions about what may or may not be upcoming changes on the very near horizon.
Meanwhile though, as promised, our club moves on and we had a great February between near record rainfall events. Three events highlighted the month, our Valentine’s Brunch at the Claim Jumper, Taste-of-the-Town at Maria Bonita’s and our “Sunday-Drive” event to Ojai for Farmers’ Market and lunch at Sea-Fresh. There were outstanding turnout numbers at all three functions and despite the rainy conditions at a couple of the events, nobody melted. Remember my words, “it’s always raining somewhere, sometimes it’s our turn!”
No doom and gloom is meant here, we are and will continue to be the best Corvette club in these parts and be assured your board is working hard to keep it that way!
With all that said, time for the BIG announcement of the month. My hints and promise of a dangle have produced results. Scott Gregory, new to many, but a prior 5-year member of the SCVCC, has stepped forward and accepted the newsletter job. We will share duties for a bit, but as you can see, he has continued putting our club’s best foot forward!
Can you believe February is already upon us? It seems like it was just a year ago we were a month into the new year and here we are again.
While January was not our typical month in the SCVCC, there was still some action behind the scenes as our board transitions to its new configuration. I can report that our Activities Committee is taking the job seriously and working hard to get us rolling to many new events and destinations.
As you will read in a couple of pages, our new Secretary, Dan Clarkson is “right-on” with his pen and paper taking the minutes at our meetings. We should all show our appreciation to those who have stepped up to the plate mid-year to keep our board of directors running so smoothly.
While the winter rains are so appreciated with the several inches of moisture locally along with the many inches of snowpack added to our mountains, Corvette caravans are fewer in the winter months. We have time though to make sure our favorite cars are well maintained and detailed in the meantime.
Our SCVCC Webpage Events Section did have a couple opportunities for us to fire up the Vettes and get together in January. Our monthly Taste of the Town was held at Saddle Ranch Chop House and I must report a very good attendance of 25. TOT is every third Thursday at a local eating spot and if you haven’t attended in a while, you are missing out. The company is terrific and you don’t have to do dishes. What could be better?
January finished up with a Surprise Breakfast run on the 27th. We all like surprises and for sure runs are great too in our Corvettes, so when you put the two together you have the makings for a great turnout. That is just what we had when 42 members and guests showed up at 7:30 AM at our designated start place on the Old Road. Our Activities team briefed us on the basics of the caravan and we followed the leader away and south to parts unknown. The route took us through Pasadena on I-210, exiting at Myrtle Avenue to Jake’s Roadhouse. An awesome caravan of 22 Corvettes, with only one mishap – if anyone finds John Vega’s club flag, let him know!
We are looking forward to what February and the remainder of winter has in store, but with weather unlike the rest of the nation, we are in for more good Corvette times.
Time now to do serious planning for NCM Caravan 2019. If you haven’t gone before or want to check out more than CA-126, a cross country adventure in America’s Sport Car is a trip to remember.
Can you believe 2018 is in our rear-view mirrors? It is hard to believe that our club’s long awaited 40th Anniversary year has come and gone. We introduced a new custom logo for the celebration and emblazoned our t-shirts, polos, jackets and even our banner with the special emblem. We celebrated with special recognitions at our annual picnic and made our longevity known at our recent All-Corvette Car Show. We did good, but that was then and now is now.
Now we have 41 years to celebrate and be thankful for. We have gone through some significant changes in the past twelve months, not the least of which is an almost complete reorganization of your Board of Directors for our Santa Clarita Valley Corvette Club. We have a new VP, Jeff Hernandez; a new Secretary, Dan Clarkson; three new Activities Committee members, Donna Webster, Don Ceo and Karen Jewett and even a new chief executive, yours truly. That’s quite a change on one hand, but on the other, not really. We are all up to the task and ready to continue on in the finest tradition of the SCVCC.
Our December was just that, the final month of our calendar year with cooler temperatures, holiday celebrations and family time. Many of us enjoyed a time of giving as well as Corvette fun with a Caravan on December 1st to Santa Paula Chevrolet for the annual Toys for Tots event. Next was our traditional Christmas Party at the Sand Canyon Country Club. It was another delightful event where we got dressed up in first class club-wear or better and got together in an amazing number for a terrific party. We contributed again to the Santa Clarita Food Bank and enjoyed a time of dining and dancing with some of the best people in these parts, our membership.
As we move into 2019, we are sure to enjoy even more good times together as a club and also continue to leave a good mark in our community as an organization who cares. I am happy to report that the excellent reputation we enjoy has helped lock us in at the Oaks Club at Valencia for the next year with the recent signing of agreements for utilizing the Oaks Grille for our meeting location. We enjoy meeting there and the Oaks Club likes having us.
We are all in this club together and all have to work together to keep things fun for us all. Our club has been described as a family and as such we all play important parts. Even if you are bashful, each of you has the potential to be a leader in one way or another. You don’t have to be a board member to be active and contribute. The Activities Committee can always use suggestions and help with planning. Your help in taking pictures and contributing them along with articles for the Newsletter is always appreciated as well.
There is additionally the possibility of more personnel changes for your board on the horizon, so think about how you can contribute. Most important at the moment though is making our new year another banner year.
Wow, just like that, a new face on the Driver’s Seat page. In a way, I find it hard to believe that so suddenly a transition has just taken place. With my 10th anniversary of club membership on the very near horizon, I suppose I have enough under my belt for some reflection about my time as a member and where I see myself as your new chief executive.
I find myself in leadership of not only an older, well established Corvette club, but also a club with a large number of members much junior in tenure than myself. My detective background is cause for my curiosity and my earlier engineering training made numbers important to me. I have looked at our current roster and have found nearly half (42%) have been members for five years or less. That is quite a number. That 42% has known our most recent board of directors as their only board since joining.
We have all been comfortable with the stability we have experienced. Each month, our business meetings had the same players giving reports about our club, its finances and its activities. We happily attended each month and went on many cool runs and caravans with our only concern being where we would meet with a club of our size. While we said good-bye to a few members from time to time, we kept our membership maxed-out and to this day keep attracting more new friends who want to join us in our Corvette adventures. Still all good in my opinion, but some members with much more longevity recall different times when we had fewer rules to help us manage our number of members. I believe that while we may think we are “just a car club”, we are a fixture in our community with a reputation to protect for the sake of our future as a club. Our by-laws give us the focus we need for success.
So then, out of nowhere, our club has experienced an exodus to greener pastures by a large number of not just members, but a big slice of our board, as well as our most senior member. But guess what, we have our November meeting in the history book, our November activities were fun, and our December meeting is at hand. The SCVCC lives.
Our club has not missed a beat with the loss of half of our board since we have, if I might say so, good people remaining. We also have a great new VP (Jeff Hernandez) on board and three new volunteers (Donna Webster, Don Ceo and Karen Jewett) who are now in the Activities Committee. My thanks to them for being team players in filling the void we suddenly experienced.
Elke Couples, Mark Ware, Deana Shaver, and our new “Boss Lady” Judy Woodings remain as my current backbone with Anthony Bachmura also soon departing to Arizona. We are at the mid-point of the current club year and elections for the 2019 – 2020 club year will be here sooner than we can imagine. Other changes might occur then…or they might not. That remains to be seen.
But here we are, Thanksgiving is behind us with Christmas and New Years fast approaching, and hey, even with the changes, we still have a vibrant and exciting Corvette club and I am looking forward to all that we have ahead. We still need some help in the areas of Communications and Newsletter positions and I know there are some in our midst who can take over those positions and dangles. If a poor farm boy from Washington can be elected to the board of the greatest Corvette club in town, surely one of you can help us all “Save the Wave”!
Newly-elected Club President Mike Woodings and Membership Chairwoman Judy Woodings are the head members of the Corvette Club, in which they oversee 100 club and associate members.
“Every couple of years we put on a charity, all-Corvette show and this was the year we picked the Santa Clarita Coalition for our charity donation,” said Mike Woodings.
The Santa Clarita Coalition is a nonprofit organization that works to aid disaster victims and also has a program to assist veterans.
The funds are planned to be directly allocated for the veterans program to help the thousands of armed service members living in Santa Clarita, officials said.
During the Corvette shows, guests are able to enjoy vehicles ranging from old to brand new.
“The first year of the Corvette is 1953, which is pretty rare, and we have two people with 1954 Corvettes,” said Mike Woodings. “We also have one fellow with a brand new ZR1, the fastest Corvette ever, so we have them all.”
To become a member of the Santa Clarita Valley Corvette Club, prospective candidates should contact Judy Woodings and are encouraged to meet certain club requirements.
“I am the membership chair, so I would ask you to come to two meetings and two events to see if our club works with your lifestyle, and you will make lifetime friends. We are a family,” said Judy Woodings.
It seems like just yesterday that I took the steering wheel of this fantastic machine called the Santa Clarita Valley Corvette Club and, with my First Lady at my side, started down a path with a vision of where the club should be heading, and the impact it would make in the community we live. I was excited and anxious at the same time but knew that the people in the club were supportive and willing to take the journey as we headed into the clubs future. Now, sit back and take my last Driver’s Seat ride with me.
In the beginning of my journey, there were some bumps and potholes along the way, but thanks to a dedicated Board of Directors, and a tolerant membership, we made it through the first year. The following year, there were a few people who left the board because of health matters and moving out of state. Those people were valuable to the board, but we adapted and continued moving forward. With a cohesive board, so many things were able to be accomplished, but not in “rubber stamp” fashion. Everything that took place in the club’s development and refinement of operation was a result of great deliberation and consideration for what’s best for the club, its membership, and compliance with all State and Federal regulations.
Our Corvette club is highly respected, not only in the City of Santa Clarita, but across the nation. Yes, that’s right, across the nation. Since the implementation of our 21st century website, we have become a “go to” organization, not only in Corvette circles, but to auto enthusiasts in general. We have established ourselves as a high quality and highly respected car club, and that’s because of the members who are so active and committed to making the club what it is today.
This success is not because of one person or a board of directors, it’s because of a great membership. A group of caring people, who care for each other, care for the community, and value the family friendships that are developed through our social events, runs, and car shows. The fact that we all have interests in the Corvette is the tie that binds us together. Our club is like a diamond, and we shine because of so many facets of people that make up our club membership. We don’t all agree on politics, we don’t all agree on religion, and sometimes we don’t agree on anything, but we all agree on driving our Corvettes, having fun together, and being part of something great.
As the President, I have been blessed over the years with a great First Lady, a great board of directors, and active committee people. The Executive Board has its duties, responsibilities, and its trials, and often go unnoticed by the membership at large, but it has dealt with each issue head on. All board decisions are made in the best interest of the membership, and not the individual.
Jim Fulmer has been an outstanding Vice President, and a vital asset to club and the President in so many ways. Not only has Jim been a voice of institutional history, but he’s been the driving force behind so many functions, club events, and why our 50/50’s are so popular. Jim has seen what was, knew what should have been, and had a vision of what could be, having served in several other positions on the Board’s since 1988. His behind the scenes involvement has made our club so successful and coveted.
Ron Bergmann has held the most thankless and truly most unappreciated position of club Secretary, and it’s the second most critical duty on the Board of Directors. He has never wavered from the responsibility. His attention to detailed documentation, knowledge of procedural requirements and responsibilities has kept this club in compliance with established rules, regulations, and legal requirements. Ron has been the “checks and balances” of the administration of the Board of Directors and his actions are what keeps the club on track and a professional entity.
The most critical and demanding position on the Board of Directors is that of the Treasurer. Elke Couples has been the best Treasurer this club has ever had, and I can say that with firsthand knowledge, and affirmation from past Presidents, dating back to the 1990 President, John Noble. From the first day Elke took control of the finances, she has accounted for every penny that has come into or left this club. Her accurate documenting of income and out-go has kept everyone aware of the finance and ensures that there are no wasteful expenditures. The club’s finances are public record as a tax-exempt organization. Finances are the most critical part of any organization and accurate financial records keep the club from losing its 501(c)(7) status, and that keeps people from going to jail. Elke’s monthly accounting is presented to the membership at each meeting and anyone can see exactly where the money goes, at any time.
The Board positions that everyone sees and hears about the most are the Activities Committee. Joyce Bergmann, Glenda Fulmer, Janene McDonald, and Mark Ware have taken Activities to a new level and are the backbone of our club’s reputation as being a truly active Corvette club. The Activities Committee has come of age in planning, organization and communications because of Mark’s innovative new website. Activities no longer require people having to see a written piece of paper at each meeting describing the months ahead. Members (anyone for that matter) can just go online to scvcc.org and the information is there. Planning and coordination are more accurate and immediate, saving countless hours of wasted time and effort.
The Activities Committee has brought professionalism to the club and to the members in general. It’s been said that behind every great man stands a great woman. Well, behind the club’s President, stand three great women, Joyce Bergmann, Glenda Fulmer and Janene McDonald. Those three women pull together outstanding events which appeal to everyone to one degree or another. Each lady brings something invaluable to the club. They bring desire, drive and integrity. They are so committed to making events the best they can be that they work relentlessly and with much self-sacrifice to pull together functions that appear to flow seamlessly. Mark created an operating model events calendar for the year which keeps the Activities Committee on track and focused. Mark is the type of guy that doesn’t worry about who gets the glory as long as the job gets done. He truly deserves recognition for what he does. Additionally, because of Mark’s operating skills, all of our events are successful. It’s not always about speed and performance (although Mark Ware would like it to be), but the Activities Committee leans toward social and interactions with each other. After all, when you drive somewhere you’re not just going to turn around and drive back. Your car needs gas, and your body needs food, so we drive and eat, or eat and drive. If the women in the club are happy, so are the men.
Our Membership Chairperson, Judy Woodings, has done an excellent job over the past years with her outgoing personality and personal ownership of the position. She always goes out of her way to make new people feel welcome and wanted. She always follows up both with a written communication and a personal telephone contact. Her actions exemplify another facet of the club’s reason for being so successful. A good Membership coordinator makes for a good Board, and a great club membership.
Back in 2005, Bill Thomas became the club’s first Quartermaster, and since then, only three other members served in that position. I can say without a doubt, that as of 2014, Deana Shaver has taken the Quartermaster position to a level that far exceeded my expectations and has brought the quality and style of our clubs appearance to a whole new standard. Thanks to Deana’s innovative ideas, drive, marketing skills, and personal commitment to serving the club membership, we now have a quality product, a stylish appearance, and a feeling of pride when we gather together at functions, club runs, or special events. Additionally, Deana has taken on the duty of Special Events Coordinator”, which is basically the person who pulls our annual Christmas Party together. It’s a labor of love, but also pride in putting together such a special event for the membership. Deana spends nearly nine months planning and coordinating all aspects of the event.
Communications is an important aspect of any club. Keeping everyone up to date on club events and important information is time consuming and can be a daunting task, especially when the world of technology goes tilt. When our ‘Master of Message Management”, Tony Munshi moved away, leaving a vacancy in the Communications position, I took on the position. After all, how hard could it be? Needless to say, I’d rather have had a no Novocain root canal than do Communications. Anthony Bachmura stepped up to plate an offered to take on the duty as the “Communications Guy”. Being that he was eager to be an active part of the club, and wanted do Communications, I was equally as eager to let him do it. In today’s electronics world, communications can be an instant and ever-changing nightmare. Anthony has taken to the duty, like a duck to water. If you’re not getting informed, it’s not because of Anthony.
Our Newsletter, which is now sent electronically, is the lifeline of our club and to those desiring to know about our club. Mike Woodings has been the Editor in Chief of the Newsletter for the past 6 years and has made great strides in the quality of our publication. He’s made several design changes to the look and format of the publication and has been innovative with the incorporation of interest articles such as “Vette Vittles”, “Laff Traxx”, and our “Corvette Classifieds”. Additionally, Mike makes sure that we all stay informed and educated with subjects related to us as a club and Corvette enthusiasts. Our members often comment on the quality of the Newsletter that Mike puts out and I have not seen a better publication from a social car club.
Yes, I’ve taken a lot of your time, but you need to know what it takes to make this club run, and to run efficiently. It’s your club, and a reflection on you as a member. I encourage you to get involved and be an active part of the success that has been laid before you.
As Janene and I complete our drive down the path we started with the club, we are thankful for the support and trust the members had in us, as well as for the privilege of being part of such a great club. We have made so many close and lifelong friendships, and sadly, we’ve seen several of our great friends take their last Corvette drive down the road of life. We are thankful for each and every person that we have met and come to know and we are fortunate to have such an extended Corvette family. As we leave the state for our new home, we leave with mixed emotions. It’s so hard to leave something that is part of you, and something you love deeply.
Mike Woodings will now take the controls of this magnificent club and I wish him great success, and with the support of this fantastic membership, the transition should be seamless.
On behalf of Janene and myself, thank you for a great journey, and love to you all.
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